Can-opener.



No. 771,697. PATENTED OCT. 4, 1904. A. F. BETHGE.

CAN OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20. 1904.

NO MODEL.

Zflzizasaea/ fiz ezziar Ofizdrewlf 629 2 UNITED STATES Patented October 4, 1904 PATENT OFFICE.

CAN-OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 771,697, dated October 4, 1904.

Application filed February 20, 1904. Serial No. 194,538 No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, ANDREW F. BE'I'HGE, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha,

in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented new and useful Improvements in Can-Openers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to can-openers, and has for its object to provide an efficient canopener which, may be manufactured at such small cost as to enable the opener to be given away with each can of merchandise sold.

Heretofore it has been a common practice to effect the closure of cans by strips of soft sheet metal to which a key is applied, the arrangement being such that by turning the key the strip of soft metal is rolled upon the key and thus detached from the can, thereby opening the can. Such an arrangement is objectionable for several reasons. In the first place the cost of the can itself is increased; secondly, the strips often become broken before the can is opened; and, again, cans containing syrups and other liquid foods frequently when opened lose some portions of their contents, owing to the fact that the detachable strip is arranged some distance from the top of the can.

The purpose of the present invention is to permit the cans being manufactured in an ordinary manner and to provide with each can an opener which will be ofextremely simple and inexpensive construction and thoroughly efiicient in operation.

To such end my invention consists in a canopener constructed in the manner hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims following the description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, wherein Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the opener, and Fig. 2 is a perspective View illustrating the application of the implement.

In practice the opener is constructed of a piece of wire sufliciently hard to cut sheet metal, such as the cans are usually constructed of, and comprises a straight piece of wire 1, one end of which is bent at a right angle, as at 2,the said angular portion 2 being roughly sharpened to form a cutting edge. At its opposite end the wire 1 is also bent at a right angle, as at 3, and the extremity of the rightangle portion 3 is again bent at a right angle to form a foot 4:. The extremities 2 and 4 are pointed, as shown. Formed in the body portion 1 of the opener is a longitudinal slot 5.

The operation of my improved opener is as followers: The pointed foot 4: of the opener is thrust through the center of the can and the opener is then bent down and pressure applied thereto until the cutting edge 2 is forced through the head of the can. A blade of an ordinarytable or kitchen knife is now passed through the slot 5 and serves as a lever or handle for operating the opener. The bent end 3 of the opener serves as a fulcrum for the opener and by using the handle of the knife as a lever the opener may be readily turned about said fulcrum, causing the cutting edge 2 to cut through the sheet metal, thus removing a circular disk from the top of the can, thereby affording access to the contents of the can.

The opener constructed as above described from a single piece of ordinary wire may be manufactured at such a very small cost that it may be given away with the most inexpensive canned foods.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. A can-opener comprising a single piece of wire provided at one end with a fulcrum and at its other end with a cutting edge, the body portion of the opener being longitudinally slotted to receive an operating means for the opener, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A can-opener comprising a single piece of wire bent at its opposite ends, one of said ends constituting a fulcrum and the other of said ends constituting a cutter, the body por tion of the opener being longitudinally slotted to receive an operating means for the opener, substantially as described and forthe purpose specified.

3. A can-opener comprising a single piece of wire bent at a right angle at one end to form a cutting edge and bent at its other end substantially L-shaped to form a fulcrum, the

extremity of said bent ends being pointed, said opener having its body portion longitudinally slotted to receive a suitable means for operating it.

4E. A can-opener comprising a single piece of suitable material provided at one end with a fulcrum and at its other end With a cutting edge, the body portion of the opener being provided With a lateral longitudinally-extending slot through which is adapted to extend 10 an operating means for the opener.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of tWo subscribing Wit- IIGSSGS.

ANDREW F. BETHGE. itnesses:

R. C. JOHNSON, FRANK A. FURAY. 

